John Sandoe Books

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Located near Sloane Square in Chelsea, this independent bookshop houses roughly 25,000 books in a three-story 18th-century building. The store was established by John Sandoe in 1957 and is now owned by the veteran staff. Behind a brown antique façade, the shop has carefully selected volumes packed into every nook and cranny, even spilling out onto the creaking spiral staircase. While there’s no apparent order to the titles, which range from cookbooks and children’s literature to poetry and travel volumes, the well-read staff can easily locate books, offer recommendations, and special order hard-to-find titles, even if they’re out of print.